UPDATED: Colossus to close at Six Flags Magic Mountain

Six Flags Magic Mountain’s iconic roller coaster Colossus will close Aug. 16 after a 36-year run, officials at the Santa Clarita Valley theme park announced Tuesday.

Banners placed around the park warn coaster enthusiasts of their “last chance to ride the king of wooden roller coasters.”

“Six Flags Magic Mountain will announce exciting future plans for the park we think our guests will love at a later date,” says a statement issued by park spokeswoman Sue Carpenter.

Carpenter declined to provide additional details about plans for the prime Magic Mountain location currently occupied by Colossus.

The mammoth wooden roller coaster first opened at Magic Mountain on June 29, 1978. The dual-tracked coaster features a 115-foot drop and nearly a mile-long track.

During the park’s annual Fright Fest, Colossus’ trains are flipped backward for a whole new ride experience.Just six months after the ride opened, a woman was killed on Colossus Dec. 26 after she was ejected from the ride and fell 100 feet to the ground.

The ride was shut down and overhauled. New height and weight restrictions were imposed on passengers.Colossus has made guest appearances in both movies and television shows, including “National Lampoon’s Vacation” and the made-for-TV film “Kiss Meets the Phantom of the Park.”